This is the only fruitcake recipe you need; it’s that good. Moist, fruity, sweet, and so Christmasy! The recipe is easy to follow, and you'll learn a simple insulating technique that ensures perfect results when baking a Christmas cake - a technique you can use for many other cakes.
Try this traditional fruitcake this holiday season - you might never want to try another recipe again. Or try the Non-Alcoholic Fruitcake if you prefer to skip the alcohol, or the Pumpkin Fruitcake for a completely different take on fruitcake.
This classic fruitcake is everything you could want: incredibly moist without being soggy, easy to cut into neat, clean slices, dense yet soft. It’s also versatile - use any dried fruit you like, leave out the citrus peel if it’s not your thing, or replace the alcohol with more orange juice.
You can serve the fruitcake the next day if you’ve made it just before Christmas, but you can also bake it well in advance (1-2 weeks) and let it mature; it gets even better. If you like, you can also feed it with 1-2 tablespoons of extra brandy every 3-4 days or so.
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Recipe ingredients
Dried fruit: You will need about 800 g/1.8 lbs of it. You are pretty flexible regarding the choice of fruit.
- I find dark raisins and golden raisins (sultanas) to be a must, and I like apricots and cranberries.
- I often use dates because I always have them (I buy them to make this sugar-free muesli mix. so there are always some in my cupboard). Otherwise, I will use what I find on sale or what I already have in the cupboards.
Except for this dried fruit that gets soaked in alcohol, you will also need some glace cherries and candied orange peel. If you don’t like citrus peel, leave it out or replace it with more cherries, almonds, or hazelnuts. Or use another type of candied fruit; I love a bit of candied ginger, too.
Sugar: I like to use muscovado sugar, but as that is not always available where I live, I often bake this fruitcake with regular dark brown sugar. To make it taste more like muscovado, you can add 2 tablespoons of treacle or molasses to the batter. Use leftover muscovado sugar to make this fantastic Butterscotch Potted Cream recipe or a Spicy Toffee Apple Cake.
Alcohol: I use brandy or rum most of the time. Sherry or whiskey can also be used. If you don’t want to use alcohol, replace it with more orange juice or combine the orange juice with some apple juice.
Spices: Ground allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Other ingredients: One orange - juice and some orange zest if you like, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, large eggs, baking soda, and salt.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Insulating method
To insulate the cake pan, you will need a long strip of aluminum foil, a long strip of paper towels, and a metal paper clip (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
This technique helps ensure even baking and prevents the edges of the fruitcake from overbaking or becoming too dark while the center cooks through. The damp paper towel and foil create an insulating barrier around the cake tin, regulating the temperature and slowing the heat transfer to the outer edges.
This results in a more uniform bake, keeping the cake moist and preventing a hard or dry crust, which is especially important for dense cakes like fruitcakes that require longer baking times.
How to make a fruitcake
Step #1: Place fruit in a bowl, and add the heated brandy and orange juice. Soak for 30 minutes. Prepare the cake pan while the fruit soaks.
Step #2: Cut a long piece of foil, enough to go around the cake, and place it on the table. Tear a strip of paper towels the same length as the foil. Fold the paper towel to form a long strip. Dampen it with water and place the wet paper towel in the center of the foil.
Step #3: Fold the foil around the paper towel to create an insulating strip.
Step #4: Wrap the insulating strip around the cake pan, trimming any excess. Secure the strip with a metal paper clip.
Step #5: Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Step #6: Mix the dry ingredients, sift them in, and fold with the soaked dried fruit, cherries, and orange peel.
Step #7: Bake in the preheated oven, covered with foil, for 90 minutes. Reduce oven temperature, remove foil, and bake for 90 minutes. Check.
Step #8: Cool in the pan. Wrap it well and let it mature for 1-2 weeks.
Tip
I recommend using a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to measure the ingredients; I find that measuring the dried fruit in cups (especially the large fruit that needs to be chopped) is too imprecise.
How soon can you serve the fruitcake?
The next day: Let it cool completely, transfer it to an airtight container, or wrap it in foil and let it rest until the next day. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar or brush it with apricot jam or another jam before serving. If Christmas is just a day away, you could also make this Last Minute Mincemeat Cake.
After 1 or 2 weeks, the fruitcake will mature nicely. When a fruitcake matures, its flavor gets richer and smoother as the fruits, spices, and alcohol blend together. It becomes less sharp, more balanced, and moister than when freshly baked.
Feed it if you like. To feed the fruitcake, poke holes in the top with a skewer and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol, like brandy or rum. Wrap it in parchment paper and foil, then store it in a cool place. Repeat every few days or weekly, but avoid over-soaking.
How to decorate a fruitcake
You can wrap the fruitcake in marzipan or fondant. This step is totally optional. I rarely do it myself, but it works very well if you decide to do it.
For marzipan, once the cake is fully cooled, lightly brush it with warmed apricot jam or honey to help the marzipan stick. Roll out the marzipan to about ¼ inch thick on a powdered sugar-dusted surface, then place it over the cake and smooth it down, trimming any excess.
If you choose fondant, first cover the cake with a layer of marzipan (if desired) and brush it with a thin layer of simple syrup or apricot jam. Roll the fondant to about ⅛ inch thick on a powdered sugar-dusted surface, then drape it over the cake, smoothing it out and trimming the excess.
Storage
As mentioned above, you can store the fruitcake well-wrapped and at room temperature for at least 2 weeks. To keep it for longer, up to 4-5 weeks, refrigerate it in an airtight container.
You can freeze it “forever”; it will be fine for at least one year. Make sure it is well wrapped in plastic wrap and then in foil.
The Fruitcake
Equipment
- springform or cake pan 23 cm/ 9 inches
- Aluminum foil
- Paper towels
- Electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachments
Ingredients
- 250 g raisins 9 oz, Notes 1, 2
- 200 g golden raisins 7 oz
- 125 g currants 4.5 oz
- 125 g dried apricots chopped, 4.5 oz
- 125 g prunes chopped, 4.5 oz
- 100 g dates chopped, 3.5 oz
- 125 ml brandy or rum, ½ cup
- 125 ml orange juice ½ cup from 1 orange
- 250 g unsalted butter at room temperature, 9 oz/ 1 cup + 2 tablespoons
- 225 muscovado sugar 8 oz/ 1 cup packed, Note 3
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 275 g all-purpose flour 9.7 oz/ 2 cups
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- a few gratings of nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 100 g glace cherries 3.5 oz
- 50 g candied orange peel 1.7 oz, Note 4
Instructions
- Mix dried fruit: Place raisins, golden raisins, and currants in a bowl. Chop the apricots, prunes, and dates and add them to the bowl.250 g raisins / 9 oz + 200 g golden raisins / 7 oz + 125 g currants / 4.5 oz + 125 g dried apricots / 4.5 oz + 125 g prunes / 4.5 oz + 100 g dates / 3.5 oz
- Soak dried fruit: Warm the brandy or rum and freshly squeezed orange juice in a small pan. Pour the mixture over the dried fruit, stir well, and let it soak for 30 minutes or until the fruit is plump. You can soak it longer if you prefer.125 ml brandy/ ½ cup + 125 ml orange juice/ ½ cup
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/ 300°F.
- Line the cake pan: Lightly grease the springform or cake tin and line it with parchment paper all over, including the sides.
- Insulate the pan (Note 5): Cut a long piece of foil, enough to wrap around the cake pan, and lay it flat on the table. Tear a strip of paper towels the same length as the foil and fold it twice lengthwise to form a long strip. Dampen the strip with water until it’s wet but not dripping. Place the wet paper towel in the center of the foil, then fold the foil around it to create an insulating strip. Wrap this strip around the cake pan, trimming any excess, and secure it with a metal paper clip.
- Wet ingredients: Cream the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl halfway through.250 g unsalted butter / 9 oz/ 1 cup + 2 tablespoons + 225 muscovado sugar / 8 oz/ 1 cup packed + 4 large eggs
- Add dry ingredients: In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Sift them over the egg mixture and fold them in with a plastic spatula, along with the soaked fruit, chopped glacé cherries, and orange peel.275 g all-purpose flour / 9.7 oz/ 2 cups + ¼ teaspoon baking soda + ¼ teaspoon allspice + ¼ teaspoon cardamom + ½ teaspoon cinnamon + a few gratings of nutmeg + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + 100 g glace cherries / 3.5 oz + 50 g candied orange peel / 1.7 oz
- Bake fruitcake: Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 90 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C/280°F, remove the foil, and bake for another 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Check after about 70 minutes; if the cake is getting too dark, loosely cover it with foil (just place it on top without pressing it down).
- Check cake: If the skewer has a lot of cake mix on it, when you check the fruitcake, continue baking for about 10 more minutes, then check again. Repeat if necessary. The cake is dense, and oven temperature variations may affect the baking time.
- Cool the cake: Remove the cake from the oven and carefully take off the insulating foil strip. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Store fruitcake: Once cool, wrap the cake in parchment paper and then in foil. Store it in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for 1 to 2 weeks. Feed it if desired (Note 6).
- Serve: Unwrap the fruitcake and sprinkle it with powdered sugar or brush it with jam before serving.
Notes
- Measurements: Always use a digital kitchen scale for baking (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab); it ensures the best results. Measuring dried fruit in cups can be tricky since the size of the pieces and your chopping style can affect the quantity.
- Dried fruit: You will need a total of 800 g/ 1.8 lbs of dried fruit. You can mix it as you like.
- Sugar: Substitute muscovado sugar with an equal amount of dark brown sugar. For a flavor closer to muscovado, you can optionally add 2 tablespoons of molasses or treacle.
- Replace candied peel with other candied fruit you like (for instance, ginger) or with chopped almonds or hazelnuts.
- This insulating technique helps ensure even baking and prevents the edges of the fruitcake from overbaking or becoming too dark while the center cooks through.
- Feed the fruitcake: Use a skewer to make holes in the top of the cake and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of alcohol, such as brandy or rum, over it. Wrap the cake in parchment paper and foil, then store it in a cool place. Repeat every few days or weekly, but be careful not to over-soak it.
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